Pollinators in Danger: Floridians Interested in Help, But Not Enough to Act | The Apopka Voice

From UF/IFAS

Across the Sunshine State, some Floridians are looking to roadsides as potential havens for pollinators. But there's a catch: While many residents love bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects, a new study from the University of Florida shows that enthusiasm does not always lead to action.

Related: Cultivating for Color: The Hidden Tradeoffs Between Garden Aesthetics and Pollinator Preferences.

Researchers at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) conducted an online survey of 1,051 Florida residents and found four categories of respondents.

The two extreme categories were those described as “positive pollinator passers,” who have a positive attitude but no interest in supporting roadside habitats, and “pollination promoters,” who have a very positive attitude and actively support these spaces. One of the moderate groups, the Pollinator Advocates in Waiting, has a strong positive outlook and is willing to take action.

“It's clear that a large portion of the population doesn't even think about these spaces and how they can support pollinators,” he said Laura Warnera UF/IFAS professor of agricultural education and communication and lead author of the study. “I think we have a great opportunity to make the benefits of these spaces much more public if managed appropriately.”

Warner said messaging to pollinator advocates willing to help needs to focus on environmental and local food benefits.

“Because this group values ​​pollinator-friendly roadsides and is willing to act, we do not need to sell them this concept but would provide them with clear steps they could take to support these spaces,” she said. “This group is well-positioned to volunteer for maintenance or planting projects, support specific programs, implement a pollinator-friendly roadside, purchase a license plate, etc.”

Warner said people prefer small signs to inform them about pollinator-friendly roadsides. They also pay attention to roadside vegetation and therefore would likely respond well to messages embedded along their driving routes.

Pollinators – such as wasps, bees and butterflies – play an essential role in ecosystem health and food security. They love living on the side of the road, and there are 124,000 miles of roads in Florida, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Flowering plants and foraging pollinators support Florida's two largest industries – tourism and agriculture. With all the roadsides, “we have a lot of opportunities to help pollinators,” he said Jared DanielsCurator of Butterflies at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

“Instead of taking farmland out of production to plant blooming flowers that support pollinators, roadsides are available and nearby,” said Daniels, a professor of entomology at UF/IFAS and co-author of the study. “But how do we manage these areas and how do we win buy-in from the public and decision-makers about the importance of pollinator-friendly roadsides?”

With the results of the study, researchers believe they are beginning to find answers, including pollinator gardens at rest areas.

Despite the critical nature of pollinators There continues to be evidence of significant declines in their populations.

“To reverse this, we can no longer just focus on land set aside for conservation. We must develop strategies that enable other managed landscapes in the built environment to help support pollinators,” Daniels said.

The new study follows a current one Ask IFAS Document that also focused on Floridians' knowledge and perceptions of roadside pollinators. The Ask IFAS document pointed out some key conclusions:

• Floridians know a lot about environmental and ecological aspects of roadsides, but less about the actual management of pollinator-friendly roadsides.
• Environmental and ecological aspects were rated by respondents as more important than aesthetics when it came to pollinator-friendly roadsides.
• Survey participants preferred educational communications – primarily in the form of a demonstration garden, such as at a rest stop or welcome center – to inform them about the benefits of roadside pollinators.

The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make this knowledge available to maintain and improve the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research institutions, 67 district extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS provides science-based solutions for the state's agriculture and natural resources industries and all Floridians.

For more information, see ifas.ufl.edu.